Last updated 07:56, Thursday, 27 March 2008

CARLISLE United youth boss Eric Kinder has snapped up four former Premier League academy players to complete his intake for next season.

Ex-Newcastle pair Liam Davison and Mark Gillespie are joining as first-year youth players, along with former Liverpool kid Adam Jukes and Middlesbrough youngster James Wood.

Local duo Shaun Law, from Aspatria, and Ryan Bowman, from Morton in Carlisle, will also begin their two-year youth contracts from the start of next season.

“I’m more than happy with my intake,” said Kinder. “We will start the season with 15 players, which is one fewer than normal, but it leaves us room to move if another Gary Madine comes along as he did in October a couple of years ago.”

Highly-rated striker Davison joined Carlisle despite interest from Leeds. Gillespie, meanwhile, will rival Alex Mitchell for the goalkeeper’s jersey.

Warrington-born Jukes is a centre-half while Wood can operate at right back and on the right of midfield.

Both Law, a central midfielder, and Bowman, a striker, have been involved with the youth side recently and the latter scored in last weekend’s 4-1 win over Chester which kept up the youth side’s title challenge. They face Wigan on Saturday and then Blackpool on Monday in a pivotal double-header. Kinder has dismissed reports in the Australian media that a select side from Down Under, coached by former United player Archie Blue, are heading to Carlisle to play a friendly next month.

“I know nothing about it and even if someone from Australia had been in touch, we wouldn’t have a free date to play them,” he said.

UNITED’S reserves are at home to Manchester City tonight (kick-off 7pm).